


Meant to Be

by VisionaryGalaxy



Series: A Thousand Futures of Me and You [65]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alpha Stephen Strange, And Now For Something Completely Different, Don't copy to another site, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Insecurity, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Tony Stark, Self-Indulgent, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 07:52:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17845397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisionaryGalaxy/pseuds/VisionaryGalaxy
Summary: Just me getting rid of Writer's block. Summary will come when its done.





	Meant to Be

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the Self-Indulgence series for a reason but because its sill Stephen and Tony I felt like it belonged in the Thousand Futures as well. I'm sorry if it wasn't what you were expecting...something more like my usual work is incoming.

   Tony never would have thought the beginning of the end of the world would be heralded in by Bruce Banner tumbling from the sky and a tall captivating Alpha appearing in a spiral of orange sparks. He did not expect to be standing in an old museum, simultaneously discovering the name of the man plotting to destroy them all and the existence of actual magic. He especially, did not foresee the overwhelming punch to the gut when he stepped into said museum.

   Tony had been an Omega all his life, though with some careful maneuvering, extremely helpful suppressants, and a billionaire father, it was a little-known fact, which was how he planned to keep it. While the world was certainly far better for Omegas then days gone past, Tony and his family have been very aware of the precarious nature of business. The last thing they needed was for investors to be swayed by the leadership of the company, or for Tony to feel like his every move must be regulated. It worked out well in the end, the suppressants and scent blockers allowed him to the play the part of an Alpha, and by God did he enjoy the ruse. While his behaviour after the passing of his parents was still looked upon with a mix of pity and disgust, he had the leeway of stereotypical Alpha behaviour, being a filthy rich, and (somehow) maintaining popular opinion (especially with the government).

   Still, Tony had three important rules. The first was his dedication to remaining medicated. Every morning he woke and lined up his small arsenal of pills that would forcibly keep back all his vulnerabilities as an Omega. He had the lovely red pill that blocked his scent, which he then compensated for with Alpha pheromones, directly from the black market. Then were the bitter blue pills, helpfully allowing him to skip his heats. He hadn’t suffered the damn things since he was sixteen and gratefully donated thousands of dollars to the research of improving them. The third pill, which was white, and plain were his birth-control. It was truly just a precaution, seeing as it was rare already for an Omega to become pregnant outside of heat and Tony had never allowed an Alpha to fuck him anyway, he only ever had sex with Betas that wouldn’t question the lack of a knot. Still, better safe then sorry. The final pill wasn’t exactly prescriptible and was only recently added to his arsenal. It was this small bright yellow pill that he took only on rare occasions, the times when his omega instincts were becoming restless and scratching at the walls he had built, desperately in search of companionship. There was no place for it here. He happily ignored the warnings from Pepper, that he had likely been on suppressants too long.

   The second rule was simply to not disclose his true nature under any circumstances. This one, however, had turned out to be fairly flexible. Besides his family and Obadiah (that was a mistake), only Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey had been made aware. In the end, it was out of sheer necessity and none had revealed his secret. He didn’t foresee anyone else ever fitting in that category.

   The third and final rule. The most important rule and the one that was currently being threatened by the tall domineering Alpha standing behind him, was simple; NO ALPHAS. Throughout Tony’s life he had been with dozens of Betas and Omegas. It wasn’t difficult to fake his Alpha status since knotting rarely happened outside of heat and he was careful about who he chose. The only exception to date, was Pepper. Her Alpha status, however, was irrelevant. Her scent had never changed for him beyond that of safety, family, and pack. Their relationship was entirely platonic, but he didn’t mind the media’s spin on it. Alpha, Alpha relationships weren’t frowned upon so much these days and it provided a good cover since he abandoned his…promiscuous ways.

   But quite suddenly, while his head was spinning with Bruce’s words and his heart was beating a mile minute as he reached for his phone, he found his entire body on high alert. Even as he stepped away, finger hovering over the call button for Steve, feeling sick to his stomach, his skin prickled with energy, aware at all times of the other Alpha, standing and watching their exchange in silence.

   They had been in the same room for all of ten minutes and Tony already felt like he was suffocating in the intoxicating scent. Nothing, absolutely nothing had ever tempted him like that cloying, enticing scent. It was only made worse by the Alpha’s immediate attitude, his tone leaving the Omega in him frustrated and whining for the man’s attention. He had wanted, despite his words, the Alpha to show _some_ sign of admiration or even wonder, he was Iron Man after all.

   Nothing.

   In the end, he was forced to push it from his mind. There were far more immediate concerns and the last thing he needed was this distraction when his entire world was already coalescing into the very thing he had been waiting for since New York.

   The end of the world was infinitely more important then the Alpha standing next to him. Though that thought proved untrue the moment he watched him, and half the universe fade away, with only the sorcerer’s sincere eyes telling him to save the world.

\----

   Tony blinked up groggily at the Alpha, slowly focusing on a familiar face, impassive as it looked down at him. All the tension faded away in an instant when he recognized Stephen’s searing blue eyes, inhaled his comforting scent, “where am I?”

   The words came out of his scratching throat in a horrible croak and Tony couldn’t help but wince. Yet, Stephen was apparently prepared for that, already pressing a slightly shaking glass of water to his lips, while another trembling hand came to rest on the back of his head, gently encouraging. He gulped it down quickly, thankful for the relief that filled his parched mouth and the steady clearness of his brain.

   “Stephen?” he ended up asking and immediately wanted to smack himself for his stupidity.

   The man just shook his head at him, however, as he turned away to put down the glass, “Dr. Strange actually, how are you feeling?”

   He frowned, “like I’ve been hit by a moon.”

  Stephen smiled wryly at that even as he began poking and prodding in that abrupt and dismissive way doctors liked to do, “wonderful, that means you’re feeling better.”

   He raised an eyebrow at that and opened his mouth to respond sarcastically only for a low whine to escape his lips as he touched a tender spot on his ribs. Embarrassment flushed his cheeks as the Alpha’s heavy gaze darted to his.

   “Hmm, fractured. I must have missed it the first time around,” was all he said, and Tony was ridiculously grateful.

   Stephen continued his examination and Tony realized quickly he must be in the Sanctuary or whatever. His mind was rebooting, and memories began to play like a horrific highlight reel in HD behind his eyes. His heart rate increased, and his breath did the same and suddenly he was gasping for air, his chest going tight like it was being squeezed with a vice.

   A hand was suddenly pressing gently against his shoulder, holding him still and his fuzzy vision was once more filled with Stephen’s face, not that he could even focused on it, too preoccupied by the lack of air in his lugs and the haunting images in his brain.

   “ _Omega_ ,” His gasping breath caught, his eyes darted to Stephen’s intense gaze, all at once his mind was focused completely and singularly on the man’s powerful commanding voice. “ _Breathe, Omega, follow my chest.”_

   Tony had spent most of his life vehemently disobeying the commands of Alphas, often just to spite them regardless of how they spoke or what voice they used. Proving he was stronger then his biology had given him a dose of power that left him dizzy with pride and excitement. But this felt different, for one he was breathing, following the rise and fall of Stephen’s chest where his hand was pressed to it. For two, that contrary instinct didn’t pop up at all at the sound, instead he wanted to hear more, he trusted him.

   Of course, both of these revelations were pushed to the wayside the moment he was back to laying flat on the bed, no longer struggling for air and Stephen was nonchalantly fiddling with the heart monitor that had just gone insane. Instead, he found himself staring at the man in complete shock and no little apprehension, “you know?” he ended up gasping.

   Stephen only glanced at him briefly before going back to the machine, “that you’re an Omega? Yes of course.”

   Tony finds himself floundering, body sore and mind exhausted, “how?”

   Stephen snorted, finally turning away from the machine, now beeping a steady rhythm and turned his attention to the arm Tony only now noticed, wrapped thickly in bandages twice the size of his hand, “you’ve been here a week, which means you’ve been off suppressants for a week, not hard to tell.”

   Panic began to seize him again, mind crowding uncomfortably with how to fix this mess. Stephen looked up at him again from where he was inspecting the bandages and rolled his eyes, “calm down,” he said firmly. “Only Wong and I know. We haven’t permitted visitors since you’ve gotten here.”

   He immediately calmed and idly reflected that Stephen’s deep baritone was unnaturally soothing for some reason.

   Stephen lifted the wrapped limb and a searing pain travelled through his arm making him gasp and instinctively pull it away, but Stephen held tight to his elbow, “easy,” he murmured.

   “What happened?” he finally asked through gritted teeth, for the first time realizing he couldn’t remember anything past snapping his gauntleted fingers.

   Stephen began unwinding the cloth steadily, far more gentle then before, “you brought everyone back and the moment Peter popped back into existence you decided to take a nap.”

   Tony ignored Stephen’s amused tone, focusing instead on Peter’s name, “he was alright? Everyone was alright?”

   Stephen’s bright eyes glanced up at him again and seeing the obvious distress in Tony’s gaze, he seemed to soften, “yeah, Peter is with his aunt as we speak, though none too happy about it. Everyone decimated in the Snap were also returned relatively well if traumatized.”

   Tony’s entire body relaxed into the pillows of the bed as he let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t even notice the steady shocks of pain as Stephen worked, too distracted by the overwhelming sense of victory. He eyes rolled over to Stephen who had apparently summoned a small cart covered with rags, two small metal bowls, and carefully folded fresh bandages.

   He watched in silence as each layer was removed and the pristine white bandages steadily grew spotted with reds, yellows, and browns. He didn’t want to see the state of his hand but he couldn’t look away from the Alpha so intent on his task. Tony mentally reviewed what little he knew of the man, a sorcerer, stood toe to toe with Thanos, gave up the Time Stone to save his life. A shiver when through him and he was unsurprised when Stephen ran a scrutinizing gaze over his face, no doubt looking for fever.

   By all rights Tony should be panicking right now or demanding to leave as he so often did when admitted in any facility, but there was something about this place that was otherworldly and strangely comforting. The room was old, looked like a stuffy room for royalty of the old days, what with its stone walls and roaring fireplace. There were couches and chairs in a semi-circle around the fire and expensive rugs over dark wooden floors. The bed he was currently lounging in was a massive king sized four poster bed with a heavy red canopy over top. Beneath the fingertips of his good hand he discovered the comforter over him was of a silky nature and was nearly black with swirling designs of gold. The whole aura of the room left him feeling removed from the problems he had been dealing with, from the end of the world he had so narrowly avoided and he found himself eager to hideaway for awhile.

   His gaze went back to Stephen, he seemed to be nearly done. There was a sickening smell starting to rise from the bandages, a distinct scent of rot and disease, the sorcerer didn’t look up as his trembling fingers began unwinding a cloth that was completely yellow and red, “don’t look and breathe through your mouth.”

   For once he decided to head the advice and carefully averted his eyes to the door in the corner of the room and the windows letting in only a muted light. He grit his teeth as cool air stung his hand, he didn’t even want to imagine what it looked like.

   Stephen for his part worked in silence only speaking when Tony was unable to hide a grunt or whine of pain as he cleaned the wounded hand. Even then he only made reassuring noises or quiet promises that it would soon be over.

   Even breathing from his mouth, he could catch the scent and wanted to gag, but he didn’t dare. If Stephen could clean and prod at it without making a sound, then Tony was damn well going to do the same. He was distracted, however, when the door opened and Wong, whose name took several minutes to remember, came bustling in.

   The man raised an eyebrow when he saw Tony was awake but said nothing else, making his way to Stephen’s side. Tony didn’t say anything either, worried about accidentally    taking in the nauseas smell of his injury. There were quite murmurs between the men and then Stephen was walking around the bed, expression grim.

   “It’s looking better.”

   Tony frowned.

   “But,” he continued. “I’d say it’ll take another week of close observation until you are ready to go about as normal.”

   It seemed like Stephen was expecting him to argue, to demand they allow him to leave and return to his penthouse and under normal circumstances he would have. But he had already made up his mind that this wouldn’t be such a bad place to hide for awhile, “alright.”

   Surprise flitted across the Alpha’s face at that, but it cleared quickly, “very well.”

   Another sharp pain went up his arm and Tony winced, realizing Wong had begun re-bandaging the limb. A hand settled on his shoulder and Tony had to fight not to lean into it, for the first time he began to catalogue his own body, beyond the scrapes and bruises.

   He had been off of his suppressants for a week now and as much as he hated the thought, it was clear his body was reacting to Stephen’s presence. He found himself leaning toward the man and his familiar scent. It felt inexplicably safe and comfortable, even as he maintained a sophisticated and aloof air, which was perhaps the very reason. Unease moved through him at the powerful memory of attraction when he first met the Alpha, the way his scent had wiped him mind clean for all of fifty seconds and he could only think of him as _mine_. Unfortunately, it hadn’t flagged any, he found his eyes watching Stephen even as the man moved to open the windows and moved back and forth in the room pointing out the basics should he choose to move around. He was utterly captivated, and he hated it with a passion.

   Finally, he came to a stop at the foot of his bed, just as Wong finished bandaging and set his arm down carefully on the comforter. He watched with a frown as the two men shared a meaningful glance that set Tony’s stomach twisting with some unnamed emotion. The shorter man nodded at him before leaving the room, bringing the ruined bandages with him.

   Left alone again, Tony could feel the prickling energy along his skin from their close proximity. Under the stink of his arm and his own distressed Omega scent, he could just catch Stephen’s both soothing and mouth-watering. That stray thought swept through him again with a startling clarity, _mine_.

   The Alpha on the other hand, seemed oblivious as ever.

   Tony had only just woken up from saving the world and wielding the gauntlet and he already knew his week wasn’t about to get any easier…but then he was always one for a challenge.

**Author's Note:**

> This will be worked on slowly at my own leisure.


End file.
